Here are ten things you need to know today.
- Mississippi too close to call: A day away from the Mississippi primary and there’s no clear frontrunner in Mississippi’s three-way race. According to a new survey by Public Policy Polling, Newt Gingrich has a slight lead with 33%, Romney has 31%, and Rick Santorum has 27%.
- Candidates in dead heat in Alabama: The new survey from Public Policy Polling also has the top three candidates a point apart from each other in Alabama the day before the primary. Romney leads with 31%, followed by Gingrich with 30%, and Santorum with 29%. In both Mississippi and Alabama, PPP finds that Romney’s favorability is far below that of Gingrich and Santorum, but he’s doing well because those two are splitting the conservative vote.
- Gas prices hurting Obama: A new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows rising gas prices are hurting President Obama’s approval rating on the economy. After seeing his numbers go up on the economy, the poll shows the President’s handling of the economy is at 46% while approval of his handling of gas prices is just 26%. In match-ups with Romney and Santorum, the new poll shows Obama’s lead from February erased.
- Dick Morris endorses Romney: Clinton advisor-turned conservative strategist Dick Morris endorsed Mitt Romney in a video message Monday. His less than inspiring message, as it reads via YouTube: “We are destroying our chances by dragging this fight out. Enough already!” Morris says this comes not because he likes Romney more, but because the math adds up that way, saying that voting for someone else is “basically voting for a deadlocked convention.”
- Obama camp tries to rally 2008 supporters: On Monday, Obama campaign manager Jim Messina will hold a conference call with people who worked on the 2008 race to make sure they stay connected and help out again, reports Politico. Reaching out to past staffers is standard fair, but recreating the enthusiasm of 2008 will be a tall order.
- Santorum attacks Romney for weak campaign message: Rick Santorum attacked Mitt Romney for his latest attempt to convince voters to coalesce around him: that the delegate math makes him the inevitable nominee. “When we have our nominee going out there and trying to sell the American public to vote for him because of mathematics, we are in very, very tough shape,” Santorum said. “This isn’t about math. This is about vision, it’s about leadership.”
- Obama campaign begins push for women voters: Team Obama has prepared a major push to reach out to women voters this month, culminating at the end in what they are calling “Women’s Week of Action,” reports the New York Times. Various efforts will center around the health care law and what it means for women, coinciding with the two-year anniversary of the signing of health care reform.
- Labor plans major effort for Obama: The AFL-CIO will endorse Obama on Tuesday and in the wake of Citizens United, is planning a major effort to help reelect the President, reports the New York Times. “Labor leaders say they expect unions to spend $400 million this year on national, state and local elections,” reports the Times, but their biggest contribution will be “at least 400,000” members who will knock on doors this fall.
- Elizabeth Santorum, top surrogate: Rick Santorum’s oldest daughter Elizabeth is campaigning for her father in Hawaii ahead of the state’s caucuses Tuesday, allowing her father a presence in the state while focusing on the bigger ticket states in the South. She won’t have to hold her own rallies, but will be a lunch guest and participate in several ‘sign waving’ events.
- Ann and Mitt divide and conquer: Ann Romney will spend her day in Alabama, Monday, attending three meet-and-greet events for her husband. Mitt Romney, meanwhile, will spend the day at two events in Missouri, whose caucuses are on Saturday.
